Noni Madueke is not quite Mikel Arteta’s super-sub. Gabriel Martinelli has made the most appearances from the bench this season (27), while Max Dowman and Gabriel Jesus have been used almost exclusively as substitutes. But if Arsenal need a goal in the latter stages of Saturday’s Champions League final against PSG, there’s a very good chance Arteta will send for Madueke.
It has been a strange season for Madueke, whose involvement has tended to go hand in hand with Bukayo Saka’s injury status. They have occasionally played together, with Madueke on the left or Saka trialled through the centre. But typically it has been one or the other. Madueke averages 53 minutes per appearance in a role which has been more understudy than competitor, despite Saka’s occasional struggles for form.
